What a wonderful organization Rotary is! The Rotary branch of Essendon is ‘finding space’ for my medical supply boxes in their container going to Kenya at the end of the month, and they are doing this gratis….sincere thanks to all concerned.

Wonders will never cease in the fact that I received the following email from Hon. Rachael Nyamai MP in Kitui constituency (Kanthi) of Kenya after months of silence.

Dear Hellen,

I congratulate you for the Medal of Order of Australia you just received and thank you very much for the mail on what you have so far achieved with your team. I am happy to say that I am and will remain part of this process and products associated with it. I have worked hand in hand with Daniel including visiting the Cilici more than once and helping to make things progress. Kindly have a talk with him and find out whether he appreciates what we have been able to do together.

I take this opportunity to thank you very much for your donations and having a human heart for the people of Kanthi and for the friendship you have with us. We do not take thus for granted.

In terms of way forward from now….I am going to have a discussion with Daniel when back from Canada to know whether he really wants to hand over this project to Government of Kenya. My advice is that we do not give it up. This can become a health facility like Mutomo Mutomo Hospital which is funded and supported by the Catholic Church. In terms of registration I connected Daniel Ndunda to the Dr who could do this. No one else Is allowed to write this letter except the Doc. Actually a politician is not allowed to write such a letter. I hope you understand this Hellen.

In terms of registration we will be able to handle at the national level to ensure that we get the necessary certificates to be fully operational. Your help is needed in drugs and other supplies because this clinic will be best if it remains a private Kanthi community clinic.

Water….. Daniel will tell you that we are finalizing the pipeline from Kithini to Mutomo. This may increase the flow of water to Kanthi at some point. Government programmers here are really slow.

Classroom…we finally got the funds for the proposed classroom and funds will be availed to Kathi community. Daniel will be in the project management committee. It’s within my docket to ensure that the school is registered by the Governement. The land we purchased, your existing classroom and the up coming primary school classroom will qualify us for registration. This is a great achievement that you will also be documenting. The only other thing I will try to do is to connect the clinic with the supply of vaccines. This we ask you to support us with the storage facilities such as fridges etc….. I promise to connect the school to power supply. This takes time but it will happen……it’s not obvious here to have power connection to populations. The current president has said every school must be connected to power supply and all Mps are working towards this.

It’s really my pleasure to have Daniel in Government. He will tell us the best way we can assist to have him join Government as what he does for the people surpasses what we do. I appreciate you Hellen. Be blessed.

Sincerely yours,

Hon Dr Rachael Nyamai

I am going to discuss with Daniel what his thoughts are regarding the Medical Centre remaining a community clinic or seeking registration as a Government institution. I guess with the Kenyan Government history (water supply issue) it might be best to remain a community venture as the community built and currently own the facility. The big question is sustainability! Drugs are so very expensive in Kenya, so we shall speak with the doctor at Mutomo hospital to seek his guidance also. I have had conversations with the Mercy nuns in Australia and spoken and had correspondence from Sr. Mary Okumu, Administrator of the Mutomo hospital. The lines of communications were opened up by Sr. Laboure, a Mercy nun in Ireland (sister of the late Fr Michael Sheehy, past parish priest of St. Gregory’s in Doncaster)….global co operation!

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Cheers,
HELEN

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Jackpot! yes we have just engaged a nurse/midwife named Margaret Kanini Ndambuki to work in the Medical Centre. She has been working at the Missionary hospital in Mutomo and has agreed to work in the Medical Centre in Kanthi. There are a few ‘teething’ problems to work out, supplies of medicines being the major one and transporting her to work another. She lives in Mutomo, 8 km away. I shall liaise with Daniel to try to arrange something regarding her transport….not like here, no public transport!

With regards to the medicines. Margaret spoke with me on the telephone last week and read out a list of medicines they need, antibiotics are the most expensive…extremely so, on Margaret’s list Antibiotics cost Ksh 84,300 (A$1,124.00). . Other medicines are anti fungal, anti worms, anti vomiting, peptic ulcer, cough syrup, to name a few. Margaret is due to start work on Monday, 3rd August, providing we have supplies for her to work with.

I was advised by a Rotarian from Doncaster and then I spoke at a dinner for Rotary Canterbury on Monday evening about the Kanthi projects and was advised of an organization in Footscray Donations in Kind who ship goods for not for profit organizations all around the world. Coincidently they have a container going to Kenya at the end of this month. I am to yet find out the cost of the boxes I wish to send. They also have medical equipment which they ‘might’ give for the Kanthi people. The one sad thing I was advised by Rotary is that I shall have to pay a bribe at the Kenyan end…..I do not know how much. I contacted a person in Nairobi who also advised me that ‘that was normal practice’…..all Government controls!

Please see photos below of Margaret, her qualifications and photos the newly constructed toilet in foreground of Dispensary and a photo of the latest tomato crop: the tomato crop will supplement the village income. The patients also pay a fee when visiting the Dispensary.

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Cheers,
HELEN

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People’s generosity, when I have required assistance for the village people of Kanthi, continues to amaze me…but why should it, as you have helped these people over the past three years! My request for contacts or perhaps medical supplies was met with such generosity by both Brother Sean Keefe, Chaplain at Whitefriars College, Donvale and the Chief Executive Officer of Manningham Community Health Services, Ms. Jenny Jackson. Brother Sean donated SIX boxes of medical equipment, supplies etc. sharing supplies that he would take to Timor Leste where he works tirelessly for the Timorese people. The wonderful First Aid Officer at the College chose all the appropriate equipment for the Medical Centre in Kanthi……operating theatre instruments, equipment, metal kidney dishes, blood pressure machine, stethoscope, obstetric packs etc. The incredible Jenny Jackson and staff contributed two boxes of medical supplies bandages, solutions, washes and more……more than I could ever have imagined! As Pastor Daniel would say God bless you in abundance

My next request is if anyone might, by some slim chance, be travelling to Kenya in the next few weeks or so?? I would not chance sending the equipment for two reasons, remember the crayons that I posted at a huge cost, they went to Nairobi and back here twice. Also in declaring that the parcels contained medical supplies I seriously wonder if they would ever be delivered or perhaps ‘ransomed’ off. Pastor Daniel’s sons live in Nairobi, so if I can get the supplies there…….one large suitcase would be suitable, they would deliver them to their father in the village.

If anyone might be able to offer assistance please contact me by email jurcevic@bigpond.com . Thanking you in anticipation.

Should you wish to read any previous bulletin updates please visit the website www.walkforwater.com.au

Cheers,
HELEN

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